Combined table and folding bed.



No. 808,818. PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906. o. P. DAVIES.

COMBINED TABLE AND FOLDING BED.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT 14, 1905.

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FFICE.

CHARLES P. DAVIES, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

COMBINED TABLE AND FOLDlNG BED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed September 14,1905 Serial 2 1 To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OHARLns P. DAvIEs,'a citizen of Great Britain, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Combined Table and Folding Bed, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an interchangeable folding bed and table.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and practical piece of furniture which will have ordinarily all the appearances of a table, but which, as occasion demands, can quickly and easily be opened out to form a substantial and comfortable bed.

It consists of the parts and the construction and combination of'parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the device opened out into the form of a bed. Fig. 2 is a section on X X, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a section through the device when folded up into the form of a table.

A represents a central stationary base por tion provided with a bottom and two ends a and open at the sides and top. Each end portion a is provided with a hinged or foldable section 2, the purpose of which will be explained shortly. Hinged to the base, and near the outer edges of the bottom part thereof, and operating entirely within the ends a of the base are the folding sections 3 4, which supplement the base A to constitute the table or the bed-frame. Both of these hinged sections have closed ends 5 and a hinged back portion 6. The free ends of these back portions 6 always rest on the bottom of the base and are adapted to complete the bottom of the box when the apparatus is in open position to form the bed, as shown in Fig. 1, and when the sections are folded up to form a table, as in Figs. 2, 3, these hinged portions 6 will slide in over the bottom of the base, pushing the contents of the box before them and preventing the es cape of anything from the box. One of the sections, as 3, carries the table-top portion 7, which also constitutes the head of the bed when the sections are opened out. The other section 4 has a shallow footboard 8, and the width of the sections is such that when the sections are folded into upright position to form a table the combined headboard and table-top 7 will extend over the section 4 and be ends 5 of the sections and the rigid upright ends a of the central base portion all stand at approximately the same height with the 0pposed ends 5, which are adjacent to amend a of the base, lying in aplane parallel with and just inside the end a and separated from each other by just the length of the corresponding hinged part 2. The parts 2 are hinged to the top edge of their respective ends a and are adapted to stand upright thereon and in the same plane therewith, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, and full lines, 2, or to fold inward and lie flat against them and between the ends 5 of the two sections when the latter are opened out, Fig. 1, the purpose of the parts 2 being to lock the sections 3 4, so that they will not close up when the mattress 9 is stretched. Lifting the parts 2 into vertical position frees the sections 3 4, so that they may once more be turned on their pivots into vertical position to form a table. When the parts are opened out horizontally and locked, the device presents the appearance of a box open only at the top and. having a high headboard formed by the table-top with the ends of the box supported on the floor.

The mattress 9, which is preferably of the elastic-wire variety, is secured permanently at one end to one of the sections, as 3, and the other end of the mattress is attached to a stretcher-frame 10, which is pivoted. as at 11, to the other frame 4. The stretcher-frame 10 consists of a cross-bar extending the entire inside length of the section 4 and having two arms which act as radius members for the frame to turn about on its pivots 11. The pivots 11 are disposed near the inner end or side of the section 4, and the frame 10 is arranged to describe such an are when the parts are opened out horizontally and looked as to properly stretch the mattress and carry it below the pivots 11 and hold it on tension. Suitable stops 12 limit the oscillating movement of the frame and maintain the stretched mattress substantially horizontal during its der the brace-pieces 18, secured to the under side of the top and on the outside of the ends of section 3, the ends 5 of the sections 3 4 folding inside of the ends a 2 of the base-section and being completely hidden by these ends a 2. The top 7 as before stated, is carried wholly by one section, but projects over and is supported on the other section. The hinged sides 6 and the parts to which they are hinged entirely inclose the space in which the mattress and bedding are contained. Nothing of the contents of the box can be seen when the parts are folded up into the form of a table. The parts 6, inclining inward, as they do, provide space for the knees or feet if one wants to sit close to the table. When the device is to be used as a bed, the sections 3 4 are opened out into horizontal position and the intermediate sections 2 folded in to prevent the buckling of the sections when a pull is put on them above their pivots, as occurs when the mattress is stretched or when weight is put on the mattress. With the sections opened and locked it is possible for one person to stretch the mattress by simply taking hold of frame 10 and bearing down on it to carry it over the center of the pivots 11 to cause it to abut against the stops 12. This preliminary locking of the sections and the stretching of the mattress are important, because without some such provisions being made it would require two persons to make up the bed one to hold a section down while the other stretched the mattress. A child could open up my bed and stretch the mattress ready for occupancy. When the device is to be folded up again, the frame 10 is first lifted to slacken the mattress. The parts 2 are then lifted, whereupon the sections may be turned up into vertical table po- Sition.

Having thus described my invention, what llclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s.

1. The combination of a central base-section having a bottom and vertical end portions,

box-sections hinged to the central section and foldable relative thereto to form a table or to form a bed, and one of said box-sections carrying the table-top which also forms the head board, the other of said sections having a footboard folding beneath the table-top when the parts are arranged in the form of a table, hinged members carried by the base to lock the box-sections when opened out into bed form, and an elastic mattress carried by the sections, said box-sections having hinged back portions operating inside of the end portions of the base and cooperating with the bottom of said base to inclose a containing-chamber.

2. The combination of a central base-section having a bottom and vertical end portions,

box-sections hinged to the central section and foldable relative thereto to form a table or to form a bed, said box-sections having hinged back portions operable between the end portions of the base and cooperating with the bottom of said base to inclose a containing-chamber and one of said box-sections carrying the table-top which also forms the headboard, the other of said sections having a footboard folding beneath the table-top when the parts are arranged in the form of a table, hinged members carried by the base to lock the box-sec tions when opened out into bed form, an elastic mattress carried by the sections, and means operated independently of the opening movements of the box-sections to stretch the mattress.

3. The combination of a central base-section, box-sections hinged thereto cooperating therewith to form a table or a bed, hinged members carried by the base to prevent the box-sections from closing up when extended as a bed, said hinged box-sections provided with hinged back portions operable between the ends of the base and cooperating therewith and with the bottom of said base to inclose a containing-chamber, an elastic mattress secured at one end to one of said box-sections, the other end of the mattress to a frame pivoted to the other box-section, said frame arranged to describe an arc to stretch the mattress to carry the plane ofthe latter below the pivots of said frame, and stop means to limit the downward movement of said frame.

L. The combination of a central base-section having a bottom portion and vertical end portions, said end portions provided with foldable sections, box-sections hinged to said central section and cooperating therewith to form a bed or table, said box-sections arranged to have their ends pass inside of the end portions of the base when folded up into a table, said foldable sections of said base end forming stops to prevent said box-sections closing up when opened out into the form of a bed, a mattress carried by the sections, and said boxsections having hinged back portions cooperating with the bottom of the base-section to inclose a containing box or chamber.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES P. DAVIES. 

